Fix Notion Relation Cannot Display Title When Source Has Same Name

You have a Notion relation property that shows the wrong title or no title when two or more source database entries share the same name. This happens because Notion’s relation preview picks the first matching name instead of the correct record. This article explains why the relation display fails and gives you a reliable fix using a formula property.

You will learn how to create a unique identifier for each database row and use that identifier in the relation property. The fix works for any Notion plan and does not require third-party tools.

Why a Notion Relation Displays the Wrong Title for Duplicate Names

When you link two Notion databases with a relation property, Notion shows the Name property of the related record as the title. If two or more records in the source database have the exact same name, Notion cannot distinguish between them. It displays the first match it finds, which may not be the record you intended to link.

This is a limitation of how Notion’s relation preview works. The preview relies solely on the primary property — typically the Name column. When names are identical, the preview shows the same name for all duplicates. The underlying relation still points to the correct record, but the user interface gives no visual clue which record is actually linked.

The fix involves creating a secondary identifier that is always unique, such as a sequential number or a timestamp. You then configure the relation property to display that identifier instead of the name. This way, even if two rows share a name, the relation shows a distinct value for each row.

Steps to Create a Unique ID and Fix the Relation Display

These steps assume you have two databases already linked by a relation property. If you do not have a relation yet, create one first by adding a Relation property to the database where you want to see the linked record.

1. Add a formula property for a unique ID
   In the source database (the one that contains duplicate names), add a new property. Click the + button in the database header. Choose Formula as the property type. Name it something like Unique ID.
2. Write the formula to generate a unique value
   Click into the formula field and enter this formula:
   format(prop("Name")) + "-" + format(id())
   This formula combines the row’s name with its internal Notion ID. The id() function returns a unique identifier for each row, so even identical names produce different results. Click Done to save.
3. Change the relation property to show the unique ID
   Go to the database that contains the relation property. Click on the relation property name to open its settings. In the Show original name dropdown, select the Unique ID formula property you just created. The relation will now display the unique ID instead of the plain name.
4. Test with duplicate names
   Create two rows in the source database with the same name. In the target database, create a relation to each of those rows. The relation property should now show distinct values like John Smith-abc123 and John Smith-def456. This confirms the fix works.
5. Optional: Use a rollup to show the unique ID in the target database
   If you need to sort or filter by the unique ID in the target database, add a Rollup property. Click the + button, choose Rollup. Set the relation to your existing relation. Set the property to Unique ID. Set the calculation to Show original. This pulls the unique ID into the target database as a standalone column.

If Notion Still Shows the Wrong Title After the Fix

Relation property still shows the name instead of the unique ID

The relation property may still show the original name if you did not change the Show original name setting. Open the relation property settings again and confirm you selected the formula property from the dropdown. Also check that the formula property exists in the source database, not in the target database.

Formula returns an error or shows #ERROR

If the formula shows #ERROR, the syntax is likely incorrect. Copy the formula exactly as written: format(prop("Name")) + "-" + format(id()). Make sure the property name in the formula matches the actual property name in your database. If your name property is called Title instead of Name, change the formula to format(prop("Title")) + "-" + format(id()).

Unique ID changes when the row is edited

The id() function returns a stable internal ID that does not change when you edit the row. The unique ID will only change if you delete and recreate the row. This is intentional and ensures the relation always points to the correct record.

Notion Relation Display: Default Name vs Unique ID Formula

Item	Default Name Display	Unique ID Formula Display
How the relation shows the linked record	Shows the Name property of the source row	Shows the formula output (Name + ID)
Behavior with duplicate names	Displays the same name for all duplicates	Displays a distinct value for each duplicate
Setup effort	None — works out of the box	Requires one formula property and one setting change
Sorting and filtering	Cannot distinguish duplicates	Can sort and filter by the unique ID
User readability	Clean and simple for unique names	Includes an internal ID, less human-readable

The unique ID formula is the only reliable method to fix relation display when the source database has duplicate names. The default name display is simpler but fails when duplicates exist.

You can now fix any Notion relation that shows the wrong title due to duplicate names. Add the formula property to your source database and change the relation’s display setting. For advanced use, combine the unique ID with a rollup property to create filtered views that distinguish between identical names. Use the format(id()) function to guarantee uniqueness even when the name column is empty.